Tag Archives: Bulls

Here’s something I don’t think I’ve ever said before: Thank God we now have the opportunity to watch some basketball played by teams that are trying to win.

Jump for my 2012 NBA playoff first-round predictions. As well as my bonus predictions for the conference champions and the NBA title, in case you happen to be looking at those lines (I’m not). Continue reading →

This one has played out almost exactly as I believed it would. The key to game 7 will be the officiating, as Jeff van Gundy slyly hinted in the last game when he said this regarding the Grizzlies’ physical defense of Kevin Durant: “I’m curious to see whether those bumps will be fouls in Oklahoma City.” Continue reading →

One of the most intriguing NBA playoffs in recent memory didn’t disappoint in the first round. Shockingly, the #1 seed San Antonio Spurs fell to the #8 Grizzlies. But I don’t buy into the idea that this means the Grizzlies are now a better team than the Spurs. Ginobili was playing with one arm, and Tim Duncan was probably only 80% coming off his late season ankle sprain. These sorts of unlucky injuries can mean everything in a playoff series. Remember Lebron on one arm?

The Atlanta Hawks also shocked the Orlando Magic. Which shows conclusively that how a team plays down the stretch in the regular season means almost nothing. Was there a worse team than the Hawks in the last month of the season? I remember the Celtics were also horrible last year in March and April. And of course, the Lakers were 3-7 coming into these playoffs.

Round 2 begins tomorrow, and with it the promise of more intriguing matchups. Jump for the 411. Continue reading →